{"id":159838,"date":"2026-05-28T11:46:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/?p=159838"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:46:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:46:28","slug":"special-prosecutors-charm-offensive-in-gambia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/159838-special-prosecutors-charm-offensive-in-gambia.html","title":{"rendered":"Special prosecutor\u2019s charm offensive in Gambia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On May 11, Martin Hackett, the new special prosecutor hired to prosecute Jammeh\u2013era crimes, joined a convoy to meet with the victims, along with our reporter and members of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/155147-gambia-doesnt-give-up-on-reparations.html\"> Reparation Commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>We first met Martin Hackett on May 8, before the start of a road trip organised both to meet and reassure the victims of the Yahya Jammeh era. The British lawyer just came from his sworn in ceremony as special prosecutor at the Gambia presidency, in a suit and tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three days later, when the trip started on May 11, Martin rolled to his forearm a white-coloured long sleeve, wearing dark brown trousers and thin\u2013framed, dark rectangular prescription glasses. His tone was serious and political, with carefully chosen words meant to reassure a disillusioned audience, while navigating a complex political environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Hackett, this nationwide tour is assumed to be a charm offensive to win over the victim community that increasingly feels abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bumps-on-the-road-to-justice\">Bumps on the road to justice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>But four days before his sworn in, the road for this man dropped in at the helm of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/142938-gambia-special-court-search-funds.html\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/142938-gambia-special-court-search-funds.html\">a special court still in search of funds<\/a> was paved with ironies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On May 4<sup>th<\/sup> President Adama Barrow appointed<a href=\"https:\/\/lamtoronews.com\/2026\/05\/06\/president-barrow-appoints-former-interior-minister-yankuba-sonko-as-chairperson-of-the-local-government-service-commission\/\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/lamtoronews.com\/2026\/05\/06\/president-barrow-appoints-former-interior-minister-yankuba-sonko-as-chairperson-of-the-local-government-service-commission\/\">Yankuba Sonko<\/a> to chair the Local Government Commission \u2013 that oversees the administrative, financial, and strategic governance of the municipalities in the small Western African country. Sonko, a senior police officer under Jammeh\u2019s regime later appointed interior minister by Adama Barrow, was recommended to be banned from public office for 10 years by the Truth Commission for his role in destroying evidence during and in the immediate aftermath of the 2005 massacre of over 50<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/74778-gambia-story-government-sanctioned-massacre-cover-up.html\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/74778-gambia-story-government-sanctioned-massacre-cover-up.html\">West African migrants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWithout transparency and accountability, this appointment represents a breach of public trust and a dismissal of victims\u2019 efforts in pursuit of truth and justice. It is also a dangerous precedent that undermines accountability and a direct affront to the \u2018Never Again\u2019 commitment embraced by the Gambian people,\u201d an alliance of victims-led organizations said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicegambia.com\/2026\/05\/08\/avlo-raises-concern-over-yankuba-sonkos-appointment\/\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-victims-are-already-fatigued\">Victims are already fatigued<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A question remains unanswered: when Hackett took oath, did he know that just before him, an official accused of &nbsp;covering up of the killing of West Africa migrants was in a similar seat at the presidency, a metaphor of a political double\u2013speak in Banjul?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few hours after, he joined the members of the post-TRRC unit [that coordinates the implementation of the commission\u2019s recommendations]\u00a0at the Ministry of Justice to meet the victims at the Memory House. On the walls, staring at him, are pictures of pain, loss and decades\u2013old weeping for justice; inside are displayed transparent glass cases holding thorn shirts of victims, and other memorabilia that speaks the story of people whose lives were cut short during the dictatorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An atmosphere that reminded Hackett of the burden on his shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"ArticleNewsletterCTA\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"ArticleNewsletterCTATitle\">FIND THIS ARTICLE INTERESTING?<\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"ArticleNewsletterCTAText\">\r\n\t\t\t<a href=\"\/en\/newsletter\">Sign up now for our (free) newsletter<\/a> to make sure you don't miss out on other publications of this type. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n\n\n<p>Kebba Jome, a representative of the Victim Center\u2014a conglomeration of all Jammeh\u2013era victims who also joined later on this nationwide tour, set the tone: \u201cThe victims are already fatigued,\u201d he started to tell Hackett. \u201cThe victims expected reparations before prosecution. Now, we are here and things are haphazardly being done. It is like reparations are going to take another five years to be completed. Right now, there is a lot of frustration. Once the people will receive reparation, the willingness will be there to testify or be interviewed for evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to activists Sira Ndow and Imran Darboe, people do not understand why a whole new legal process is required when perpetrators already confessed on television during the Truth Commission. \u201cThe biggest blow will be having our first case thrown out on a technicality,\u201d Ndow said in another address to the newcomer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe process cannot be rushed. The first case will not happen tomorrow\u2026 We want to get it right. For ourselves and for justice also,\u201d Hackett answered the victim\u2019s representatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-everyone-s-eyes-are-on-him\">\u201cEveryone\u2019s eyes are on him !\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the first day of the trip, Hackett struck up a conversation with Gambia residents in a hall of Brikama, the administrative capital of the West Coast, about an hour drive from Banjul. The region was home to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/43018-gambia-s-truth-commission-and-yahya-jammeh-s-witch-hunters.html\">witch-hunting<\/a>, one of the most striking crimes committed by the Jammeh regime: community elders were humiliated, dragged through the streets, called names, and forced to drink a deadly concoction that killed at least 41 people, according to the Truth Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the discussion winds to a close, an old man who sat on a front seat gets up. Wuyeh Sima is dressed in a casual traditional white robe, a scarf around his neck and prescription glasses which he reportedly uses after developing an eye problem due to an unconfirmed crime by the Jammeh regime. He never testified before the Truth Commission, but is now among an increasing group of victims who are hoping to be listed and recognised by the Reparation Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>- \u201cHey,\u201d Sima beckons the translator, \u201ctell him,\u201d pointing at Hackett who sat barely two meters away, \u201cin this country, everyone\u2019s eyes are on him!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>- \u201cAs a prosecutor\u2019s office, we have to be independent. I can assure you that my office will be independent,\u201d answers Hackett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A message he echoed at another meeting in Essau on May 12. Essau lies across the mouth of the Gambia River, about three miles north of the capital, Banjul. There, the reparation commission and Hackett\u2019s caravan met with another group of victims and another community that was seriously affected by witch-hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI can assure you that as an individual, as a prosecutor, I am not going to be pressured from prosecuting one case or not another. I will make my decisions based on evidence\u201d, he repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gambia_Brikama-meeting-elder_@Mustapha-Darboe.jpg\" alt=\"An elder (seated, holding a microphone) addresses the prosecutor of the Special Court for The Gambia.\" class=\"wp-image-159824\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gambia_Brikama-meeting-elder_@Mustapha-Darboe.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gambia_Brikama-meeting-elder_@Mustapha-Darboe-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gambia_Brikama-meeting-elder_@Mustapha-Darboe-1110x833.jpg 1110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cEveryone\u2019s eyes are on him!\u201d exclaims an elder (speaking in the microphone) during a meeting between Prosecutor Martin Hackett and the residents of Brikama, the administrative capital of the west coast, about an hour\u2019s drive from Banjul. Photo: \u00a9 Mustapha K. Darboe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-handling-the-politics-of-prosecution\"><strong>Handling the politics of prosecution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gambia\u2019s Truth Commission has recommended 69 individuals, including Jammeh, for prosecution. But effective prosecution is a long way away. The hybrid court that is expected to handle persons who bear the gravest responsibility has not been established yet, the special prosecutor\u2019s office is not staffed, investigators are not hired nor are the cases reviewed to establish priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the new public face of this mounting court, Hackett cannot afford unrealistic expectations to avoid feeling disappointment from victims who have had enough trauma. \u201cThere is such a huge range of crimes that have been committed. The prosecution office will have to prioritise some crime scenes over others based on availability of witnesses and strength of the evidence. The justice process is never a perfect one and for that, I apologise,\u201d he said to victims in Brikama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the truth process, survivors of sexual violence have endured significant secondary trauma from harassments, online trolls, politicians sympathetic to the Jammeh regime, among others. Hackett explains he has a background in prosecuting sexual violence cases in the UK, that he is aware of this complexity and will work towards addressing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The British lawyer worked also previously at the Tribunal for Lebanon in the Hague and War Crimes Division in the Special Prosecution Office in Kosovo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-will-not-always-get-it-right\">\u201cWe will not always get it right\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen we begin investigations, we must do so with investigators who are fully conversant with the needs of traumatised victims,\u201d Hackett said. \u201cI will work to pass on my knowledge and experience to the investigators to develop that victim-centred approach. We will do our best to make sure that you, as victims, do not feel alone\u2026 We will not always get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The necessity of this approach was pointed out by activist Darboe: \u201cSexual and gender-based violence is a very complex case. It is one of those areas where victims are asking for justice. This is also one area where the victims require timely communication,\u201d he said to Hackett.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"articleLink articleLink--editorRecommanded articleLink--textInImage articleLink--textTop\" style=\"\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"articleLinkSurTitle\">Recommended reading<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"articleLinkImageLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/155147-gambia-doesnt-give-up-on-reparations.html\"><div class=\"articleLinkImageContainer \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gambia_Malleh-Jagne-victim_@Seyllou-AFP-540x360.jpg\" class=\"articleLinkImage backgroundImageTag w-100 wp-post-image\" alt=\"In The Gambia, victims of Yahya Jammeh&#039;s dictatorship are still waiting for reparations. Photo: The brother of a person who disappeared during Jammeh&#039;s regime shows a photo of him in uniform and wears a T-shirt calling for justice in The Gambia.\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\r\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/155147-gambia-doesnt-give-up-on-reparations.html\" class=\"articleLinkTitle articleLinkTitle--default\">\r\n\t\t\tGambia doesn\u2019t give up on reparations\r\n\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On May 11, Martin Hackett, the new special prosecutor hired to prosecute Jammeh\u2013era crimes, joined a convoy to meet with the victims, along with our reporter and members of the Reparation Commission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":159830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[566,544],"tags":[2626],"ji_location":[2509],"class_list":["post-159838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-tribunals","category-reparations","tag-victims","ji_location-gambia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3.1 (Yoast SEO v25.3.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Special prosecutor\u2019s charm offensive in Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On May 11, Martin Hackett, the new special prosecutor hired to prosecute Jammeh\u2013era crimes, joined a convoy to meet with the victims, along with our reporter and members of the Reparation Commission.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, 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